True LGBT stories

Gender transition gives HIV+ transgender man reason to live

“I’ll Be Damned If I’m Going To Be Buried A Girl.”

Teo was in an abusive relationship with a woman, which lead him to be infected with HIV. It was his diagnosis, however, that pushed him to want to finally go through gender transition and lead a more fulfilled life.

“I rapidly went from being HIV-positive to an AIDS diagnosis and 33 T cells and my viral load off the charts; it was unmeasurable. And I couldn’t tolerate the medication, and I had no will to tolerate the medication. Tolerating side effects means that you have to want to tolerate the side effects, and I just couldn’t imagine myself as an old woman, so why would I bother?”

When Teo thought he had nothing else to live for, a therapist reminded him that gender transition was an option:

“I just think I got angry enough that I was like, ‘I’ll be damned if I’m going to die this way, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to be buried a girl.’ So I chose to begin the process of gender transition.”

This is Teo’s story:

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